I had posted the following under 'Off Topic' forum but I suspect some of you don't go there and may still be interested in my experiences so here goes:

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Well, I finally accepted an invitation for a BMW drive day which I've been declining several time already. This time I thought "what the heck" and boy did I enjoy it. It was an all day thingy, driving through the Adelaide hills and visiting the vineyards and finally to a small airstrip for some 'fun driving'. The cars that we drove included:

118i; this was the 'pace' car and was always at the front of the pack. Apparently this is the car that's like a scout, keeping an eye out for coppers. I didn't get a chance to drive this car, not that I was interested to.

745iL; this car was driven by a local Australian driving legend, Alan Moffit. We could only be a passenger in this car. When I was the passenger he gave me some excellent demonstration on how stable and powerful the 745 is. At one point he allowed for some space between us and the pace car which was crusing around 110kmh. He then floored it and only hit the brakes just a few feet behind the pace car and stayed on his tail for a few secs....WOW!

This car was also used at the airstrip where he drove around a few cones at speeds around 160kmh. The ride was amazing. Body roll was negligeble and when we did a hard u-turn this car just stuck on the road. Amazing! He really pushed it and it performed a fair bit better than what I've seen an S-class do.

735i; very nice to drive however a bit lacking in power when cruising. It'll be ok for urban driving. Seats were very comfy. I think I'm liking the 7 over the S-class, especially with the facelifted 7 that I saw at a recent Motor Show in Melbourne.

645i; this car had a lowered suspension with 21" wheels. It looked a lot better in real life than in pictures. I really enjoyed driving this one however it didn't have as much power as I had imagined it to have. It's very responsive and offers a good mix of comfort and road feel. Managed to bring it to 150kmh before my wife started complaining . Very nice but I just don't see myself buying one of these.

530i; this is the car they've been trying to get me to buy. Although I'm starting to prefer the handling of this car over my E320 the styling of it still bugs me. Active steering was great whilst doing medium turns around 100kmh.

X5 4.8; impressive 4wd, totally unexpected that a car like this handled so well. I drove this at the airstrip and went around the cones at approx 130kmh. Totally surprised me on how responsive this 4wd was. Minor movements and foot fully on the floor and not a cone hit...hehe..I was impressed with myself

330i; nice car. Not very exciting after the next car

M3-SMG; only one word....WOW! This car was placed right at the back of the pack. When it was my turn the dealer told me to let the other cars roll away. When they were a few kms in front he told me to floor it. He had set the gear change ration to the fastest setting. So, I floored it and I think my jaw is still drooping!! The gear change was awesome. The roar of the engine was amazing. Before I knew it I was at 240kmh and right back with the convoy.

At the airstrip I was the passenger with Alan driving. Went through the cones at 180kmh...HOLY CRAP! This guy was good. We couldn't go any fast cuz we ran out of runway lol. At the end of the runway he did a hard u-turn and puposely caused the car to fish tail and he recovered it beautifully....I'm in love.....

It was then my turn to take the M3 through the cones. Earlier on we had a bet that anyone who knocks a cone down will have to pay $10 per cone. So off I went and *boom* I hit the first cone!! lol! I kept flooring it and man it was AWESOME! I was so busy staying focus driving between the cones that I didn't notice my speedo but the dealer said I clocked 170kmh at the end. I left it too late before I hit the brakes and as I was doing my u-turn I went into the grass area. Dirt and dust flying everywhere but I recovered fine. All this time I was screaming "WOOOOOHOOOOO". I'm definitely in love

So that was it. It was an awesome day. Great sunny day, great wine, great food, great company and awesome driving with awesome cars. After this drive day I have the 7-series and M3 as possible buys in the future. Can't wait for the M5, that may go on the list as well. I don't think I would consider the S-class anymore unless the new one is really fantastic. If I was to ever go for a supercharger mid sized sedan then I think I would seriously consider the M5.

I still love my E-class and the SL's & SLK's are still cool, but I'm not too sure about the other MB range now.

M3......yummmmmmmmmmm

 

Haha.. Sounds like fun. Now go get into an E55 or SL65.. I am sure you will forget about the whole day, lol.

 

That is until you get to hear the V10 in an M5 turning over 8,200 RPM

 

And then you get into a Merc / Maclaren and fall in love then you realize, it has an Audio 50 in it.. Then you get mad..

 

My first M3 was a '96. When E46 came I traded for a '02. Both are just a blast to drive. Granted the '02 is heavier and more sophisticated (less involving?) but the performance is just amazing. To this date it still brings a smile to my face *everytime* I get in the car.